Struik Nature: R400

Bird watchers, or ‘twitchers’, might be considered strange people until you yourself enter the Bird Time of Life and become one yourself!

Birding is a journey of discovery, of new names and even more sounds and songs. You will learn where birds live (in the trees, duh!) – but no, more than that. Which trees they like and at which times of the year you might expect to find them in each type of tree.

You might begin to observe where and how birds build their nests and raise their young. In fact, you might notice things you’ve never realised existed.

There is some equipment to make the journey worthwhile: a bird guide, a pair of binoculars and perhaps an inexpensive membership of the local bird club to learn from more experienced birders.
At some point, you are going to wonder: ‘How did that bird get that name?’ Which is where ‘South African Birds by Name’ comes in.

Learning the names of birds is part of the challenge for birders, but it is relatively easy. The next step is to learn their scientific names. (You might wish you’d paid more attention in Latin class.) This book provides insight into the origins and meanings of these ‘scientific’ names, mostly rooted in Greek and Latin, but using plain language to help readers make sense of the species they are looking at.

Eddie Germiquet has painstakingly researched historic explorer accounts, indigenous names, ancient mythologies and early science writings to demystify and simplify the nomenclature. Where a name derives from a physical attribute of the bird, he has drawn a captivating illustration to depict it. Names deriving from explorers, biologists and other historical figures are also explained, uncovering some fascinating histories.

Presented in an eye-catching hardcover, this book is not only a companion for ornithologists and birders, but also a delightful source of discovery for new twitchers.

An ideal gift for birders and anyone curious about the natural world.